Friction draft and buffing gear.



T. H. SYMINGTON.

FRICTION DRAFT AND BUFFING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19. 1910.

Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A L 07y Alforney T. H. SYMINGTON.

FRICTION DRAFT AND BUFFING GEAR.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR.19,1910.

Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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'llll n -mini INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS H. SYMINGTON, F- BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

FRICTION DRAFT AND BUFFING GEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 'Sept. 1911.

Application filed March 19, 1910. Serial No. 550,375.

ments in Friction Draft and Bufiing Gear,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generically to, friction draft and bufling gear for cars, 'the object being the provision of a specific form of such gear which shall operatively embrace friction elements in connection with slotted supports or sills, draft links, and keys, thus eliminating the yoke which, asis well known, occasions much trouble in actualservice. 4

A further object is the provision of a gear; in which the energy or force in bufiin'g and drawing shall be transmitted through parts or elements of the gear to the draft beams or central stringers of the frame, and at a plurality of points or places. 7

With these ends in view, the invention consists in combining with a slotted draw bar, slotted supports, draft links, and keys, of slotted follower or friction blocks, and a spring pressed intermediate friction block in contact with the follower blocks and movable vertically and longitudinally in buffing and drawing.

It further consists in certain novelties of; construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

The accompanyingl drawings illustrate one example of the p ysical embodiment of the invent-ion constructed according to the best mode of procedure I have so far devised for the purpose.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the severalj parts of the gea-r'at one end of a car a plied; to channel center sills or stringers. ig. 2 is a vertical section of Fig. 1 -on -line 'a2-a;. Fig. 3 is a cross section of Fig. 1 on line,

" y-g. Fig. 4 shows top plan and side views of one of the cast cheek lates. Fig. 5 shows top plan and side views of one of the draft links. I

Referring to the several figures, the numeral 1 deslgnates two center sills or stringers of a car floor frame, or draft members, in this instance of metallic channel beams and suitably spaced apart; 2, an end sill of. any desired construction; 3, a carry iron for a draw bar and con ler head; 4, three slots in the web of each 0 annel beam"; '5, two cast metal cheek plates riveted'to the outer surfaces of the webs of the channel beams, each cheek late having'three slots which correspon in location with the slots in sthe webs of the channel beams; 6, projecting flanges-upon one face of each cheek. late, which flanges enter the slots in the webs of the channel beams; 7, projecting flanges upon the opposite face of each cheek plate defining the slots; 8, a slotted draw bar, the

slot being in line with the adjacent slots in the cheek plates; 9, a front metallic 'follower block havin surface 10,-and a slot 11 in line with the adacent slots in the cheek lates; 1-2, a rear a vertical surface to engage the end of t e draw bar, an inclined metallic follower block 0 the same shape and construction as the front blockrwhereby said blocks maybe interchan cable in location, the slot therein being in ine with the adjacentslots in the cheek plates; 13,41

metallic friction block interposed-between the front and rear follower blocks :and having two inclined surfaces '14, 14, engaging the inclined surfaces 10, 10 of the follower blocks, a seat 15 to receive a helical spring, and guide flanges 16, 16 at the top 'side edges; 17, a spring fitting the seat in the block; 18, a springcap having a top horizontal. surface and a retaining lug 19 located within the coil of the spring; 20, a

metallic bearing plate or :block having a horizontal lower surface in frictional contact with the ca 18, strengthening ribs 21 and perforated anges22 whichengage the webs of the channel beams and to which. they are fixedly secured by rivets 23, as

the slots at the front ends of the links and p the front slots in the cheek plates; 27, a rear key passed through the slot in the rear follower block, the slots at the rear ends of the links, and'the rear slots in the cheek plates; and 28is an intermediate key passed through the slot in the front follower block, the intermediate slots'in the links, and the intermediate slots in the cheek plates.

Upon reference to the figures which .show. the severalparts and elements of the gear key,

arranged in their proper relative positions,"

blocks apart and also downwardly, causing the keys to bear against 'the horizontal S111? faces of the flanges 6 andv 7 which define theslots. The flanges 6 and 7 may be of any desirable width to secure the required fric- The expansive tional area for the .keys. energy of the spring is transmitted at the top through the metallic bearing plate, and through the intermediate friction block, followers and intermediate and rear keys to the webs of the channel beams, thus providing five frictional contact points or areas between the elements. A

The operation ofthe gear is as follows: In bufiing the rear follower block and key are stationary, while the draw bar, front key, front follower block, intermediate key, and intermediate friction block and the spring cap 18 move rearwardly until the ends of the front key reach the rear ends of the slots in. the cheek plates. when the front follower moves rearwardly the intermediate friction block 13 is forced upwardly, as well as longitudinally, upon the inclined surface 10 of the rear follower and thus compresses the spring. It will be observed that there are four separate points or areas of contact of movable friction elements'for resisting the rearward movement of the draw bar in addition to the expansive energy of the spring. In drawing the intermediate key and front'follower block are stationary, while the draw bar, front links, intermediate friction block, spring cap, rear key, and rear follower block move forwardly till the ends of the front key reach the ends of the slots. The action of the'several friction elements is the same asin bufiing and the spring is compressed in Moreover,

tion. The friction elements are effectively combined with tlieslotted stringers or supports, the draft link's, and keys, thus elimi nating the.use.of' -aj, yoke, and facilitating the application' andremoval of a part or parts of the gear} and, further, a gear is provided in which the energy of buffing and drawing is transmitted to the draft beams or center stringers ofthe, frame ata plu- 1 rality of points or places. Obviously, modifications of construction and changes in the mode of embodiment may be introduced in practice without. constituting substantial departures.

What I claim is: 1. The combination in a draft and bufling gear, of slotted supports; friction elements comprising oppositely disposed follower,

blocks, each with an inclined surface, and anint'ermediate friction block with inclined surfaces in contact with the follower blocks ;1

a spring engaglng the intermediatefriction bloc'k'and' longitudinally movable with the block; afixed bearing element for the top end of the spring; a slotted draw bar; keys movable within the slots of the supports, one key being passed throughthe draw bar,

and other keys supporting the follower blocks and frictionblock; and slotted links connecting the front and'rear keys.

2. The combination in a draft and buffing gear, of slotted supports; friction elements comprising oppositely disposed follower blocks each with an inclined surface, and an intermediate friction block with inclined surfaces in contact with the follower blocks; aspring engaging the intermediate friction block; a fixed bearing .element; a cap intermediate the t-op end'of the spring and the fixed bearing element and movable relative to said element; a slotted draw bar; keys movable within the slots of the supports, one key being passed through the draw bar and other keys supporting the follower blocks and friction block; and slotted links'connecting the front and rear keys.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signa fture in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS H. SYMINGTON. 

